In a significant development, the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested Faizan Sheikh, a 34-year-old mechanic from Khandwa, on suspicion of planning a “lone wolf” attack on security personnel. The arrest was made following a raid on Sheikh’s residence in Kanhar Mohalla, Saluja colony, Khandwa.
Inspector General (IG-ATS) of MP Police Ashish stated that the accused had conducted a thorough reconnaissance for the attack and intended to make a name for himself through this act of terrorism.
During the operation, the ATS recovered a significant amount of potentially incriminating material, including Jihadi literature related to various terrorist organisations such as the Indian Mujahideen (IM), ISIS, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and others.
“This morning we got reliable input that there is a person who is influenced by the ideology of the Indian Mujahideen (terrorist group) and is planning a big attack. We were working on this, and in this background, this morning a terrorist, Faizan Sheikh (age 34), a resident of Kanjar Mohalla, Khandwa, was arrested. He has been arrested under various other sections of the UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act),” the Madhya Pradesh ATS official mentioned.
Additionally, four mobile phones, a pistol, and five live cartridges were seized from the scene.
“The seized mobile phones and digital devices contained extensive jihadi literature, videos, and images from terrorist organisations such as IM, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Sheikh was also found to be in contact with members of SIMI,” Dr. Ashish added.
According to police sources, Sheikh was under ATS surveillance for some time due to his regular communication with members of the banned outfit, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
His mobile devices contained videos and photos linked to various terrorist groups, including Indian Mujahideen, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Membership forms of SIMI were also found during the raid.
The ATS revealed that Sheikh used his social media accounts, particularly Facebook, to propagate extremist ideologies and share content related to terrorist organisations. This included videos of Mujahideen training camps in Pakistan, speeches of Masood Azhar (Jaish-e-Mohammed) and Mullah Omar, posts related to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), and even information about the Kandahar plane hijacking.
The accused has been booked under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), following directives from
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorist and anti-national activities in the state. The investigation is ongoing to uncover further details about the suspect’s plans and potential accomplices.
“We will not tolerate any such activity in Madhya Pradesh… we were able to arrest a dreaded terrorist and have also come to know of his secret plans. I am sure the police action will break the backbone of their network,” Yadav told reporters in Chhindwara.
The state government has also informed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) about Sheikh’s arrest and the central agency will also investigate the matter, he said.
Back on May 9, 2023, Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) teams raided places in different districts of Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. They arrested as many as sixteen members associated with the radical Islamic group Hijb-ut-Tahrir (HuT).
The HuT is a radical Islamic group banned in 16 nations, including China, Germany, Russia, Bangladesh and Turkey. The outfit’s aim is the re-establishment of the Islamic caliphate to unite Muslims and implement the Sharia globally.
Out of the sixteen arrested accused, five of the accused were converted from Hinduism to Islam, including Mohammad Salim (earlier Saurabh Raj Vaidya (Jain)), Abdur Rehman (earlier Devi Narayan Panda) and Mohammad Abbas Ali (earlier Benu Kumar). Five of the accused had married Hindu girls, with two of these men having converted to Islam only a few years ago.
Organiser visited one of the accused families on May 23 at their residence in a village, Berasiya near the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal. Story of how Sourabh Jain became Mohammad Salim Jain a dedicated commander for the HuT. Read details here.
